When Threadripper was released little over a month ago, the only offering ASUS had was the (lovely) X399 Zenith. It however is a 600 Europ motherboard. So ASUS has been working on something cheaper in the 350 Euro range, the Prime X399 was announced already yet nos has been spotted in etail.

the Prime X399-A dresses Threadripper in more professional attire while maintaining a stylish edge. It’s the most logical choice for a do-everything workhorse that plays to Threadripper’s strengths without spending too much of the budget on extras.

Three SafeSlots offer plenty of capacity for multiple graphics cards, and you still get a fourth slot linked to the CPU. Each of those has a dedicated connection, with no sharing between them, and the same is true for the PCIe pathways for storage. The primary M.2 slot shares a heatsink with the chipset to lower drive temperatures under load, and the secondary slot protrudes outward near the DIMM slots, where drives can be cooled by airflow from adjacent system and radiator fans. Factor in the U.2 port, and you’ve got a solid recipe for future SSD expansion or loading up from the start.

Main specifications are DDR 4×8 (quad channel / 3,600 MHz / maximum 128 GB) memory slot, storage is SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps) × 6, M 2 × 2, U 2. × 1, M.2 slot "M.2 heatsink" that suppresses thermal. Expansion slots are PCI - Express 3.0 (x16) x 4, PCI - Express 2.0 (x4) x 1, PCI - Express 2.0 (x 1) x 1, multi - graphics up to 3 - way NVIDIA SLI / AMD CrossFire X. The network is equipped with gigabit LAN by Intel I 211AT.

• Socket: Socket TR 4
• Chipset: AMD X 399
• Form factor: E-ATX
• Memory slot: DDR 4 × 8 (quad channel / 3, 200 MHz / maximum 128 GB)
• Expansion slots: PCI - Express 3.0 (x16) x 4, PCI - Express 2.0 (x 4) x 1, PCI - Express 2.0 (x 1)
• Storage: SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps) × 6, M 2 × 2, U 2. × 1
• LAN: Gigabit LAN × 1 (Intel I211 AT)
• Sound: 7.1 ch HD audio (S 1220 A)
• Interface: USB 3.1 Gen.2 × 2 (Type-A / Type-C), USB 3.0 × 8, Gigabit LAN × 1, Audio Terminal × 5, Optical Audio Terminal × 1
• External dimensions: 305 × 269 mm

Although not equipped for elaborate liquid loops, the Prime X399-A still comes with two headers that simplify connecting pumps and all-in-one coolers. Along with those, its eight fan headers deliver enough smart cooling management for an entire build. The Prime is no stranger to overclocking, either. It has the same 5-Way Optimization auto-tuner as the ROG boards, as well as all the manual tweaking options that the vast majority of overclockers will ever need.

The processor’s full USB bounty is delivered through a multitude of ports in the rear cluster, and additional ports are accessible through onboard headers. There’s enough for a stack of devices, from peripherals to VR trackers, with room to add more down the road.

Two RGB headers prime the X399-A to illuminate up to four meters of lighting at optimal brightness. The lighting on the board itself is discreet, with a gentle glow emanating from below the chipset heatsink. Even with the lights turned off, the interplay of angular lines and bare metal makes the Prime stand out.

The Strix model should be out soon as well.